The Artificer and the Hivelord
by sarothcyngus
Summary: On the lush world of Shandalar, an ancient race has been dormant for centuries, hidden away in a great forest. Word of their might and savagery towards any outsiders has earned them a reputation of terrible monsters. When a group of travelers decides to investigate the legend of the Slivers, will one man and a chain reaction of events spell doom for the entire world?
1. Chapter 1

The hivelord awoke.

It didn't know how or why, but it was peculiar. It was unfamiliar to sentience, to being aware. It had lived its entire life as a drone, and to suddenly gain independent thought was a surprise. For the first time in its existence, the hivelord faltered, unsure of what to make of its newfound intelligence.

When the hivelord paused to consider itself, so too did its countless minions. So much to suddenly consider. What was the hivelord? Why was it here? How long had it been maintaining the same existence, commanding the hive and its growth?

The drones around the hivelord felt its unease, and gathered around their leader. The hivelord looked upon his masses, and for the first time, felt emotion. The hivelord felt pride. Pride in its legion, that it had risen to the highest rank in the hive to command. Under the hivelord's guidance, the hive had risen from tiny numbers in a forgotten corner of existence into a mighty colony feared- and even admired- by the entire plane and beyond. A new age was dawning. And, surrounded by its loyal followers, the hivelord raised itself high, threw its four arms out, and let out a triumphant roar.

The Slivers had returned.

* * *

"You're after the Slivers!? Are you mad!?" Bellowed Tasken.

The group had just arrived in a small hamlet on the northern plains of Shandalar and were resting at a local tavern. Sitting around the table were four journeymen, each from different reaches of the world. While a group of travelers would not be out of place on a Shandalaran afternoon, this odd group stuck out, for each of them were clearly foreign, and experienced.

The first was Ticus, the de facto leader and the group's guide. An artificer from a far away town, Ticus set off for foreign lands to become a master of artifice- a hard craft to master when aligned with white mana. After nearly fifteen years, he had gained great experience, and was a powerful artificer- when it came to crafting defensive tools. He always fell short on offense. Ticus' short white hair complimented the metal-and-leather armor he wore, which was currently off to his side.

To Ticus' right was Karumont, the artificer's best friend and fellow journeyman. Karumont was a wild spirit who sought adventure wherever it lie, and never backed down from a promising thrill. He was a wielder of green and blue mana, and befriended Ticus by besting him in a battle years ago. Ticus' resilience had earned him Karumont's respect, and the wild soul offered to accompny him and lead him out of a very sticky situation in an overcrowded forest grotto. Though Karumont valued adventure above all else, he also valued learning, and followed Ticus on his travels to learn more about the vast world. Karumont's long, brown hair was characteristic of him, flowing behind him like a cape whenever he ran, complimenting his pointed ears and green, fitted garb.

Across from Ticus was Tasken, a mighty wall of a man, five times the size of the chair he sat in. Tasken was old and very wise, having traveled all throughout Shandalar, and had even met planeswalkers in his time. His experience was rivaled only by his size- Tasken was a seven foot tall titan with stone armor covering much of his skin. He was an expert user of red mana, and had bonded stone with his body to keep himself strong and youthful. As expected of a red mana user, Tasken had a fierce sense of independence and willpower, and also a very short temper. He had no such thing as an indoor voice.

Finally, to Ticus's left, was a mysterious shrouded man known to the group as Mizu. He was a young man of few words, with silver hair and small eyes. Burn scars covered a good deal of his face and right arm, the first detail many would notice about him. He wore a tattered red cloak, which he had on him when the group found him knocking on death's door in a filthy, swampy muck. They took him to the nearest town and nursed him back to health, where afterwards he tagged along with the trio while searching for his own goals. But while Mizu was a quiet man, he was one of unrelenting force, displaying skill with lightning crafting that even Tasken had never witnessed. Many of Mizu's foes were dead on the ground before the battle even started, and the deaths of his weakling enemies seemed to be the only things that made Mizu smirk every now and then. Nonetheless, he was a loyal companion and a welcome addition to the party.

"That's right. The sliver hive in Kalonia, to the east" said Ticus, with a grin.

"Slivers? Haven't seen THEM in a long while," said Karumont. "And I used to live in Kalonia."

"You should be thankful for that. The slivers are evil, unrelenting, and nigh-undefeatable. Why on Shandalar would you want to go to their hive!?" Boomed Tasken.

"If they're anything like the Slivers I've heard about before, then they know how to create a metal life form or two. I could learn from that. Besides, they sound so interesting."

"Interesting but also very dangerous, Ticus," said Karumont. "One moment, you want to see what the Slivers are all about, the next, you're lying dead in the mud with a talon-sized hole in your chest."

"Sounds like a challenge to my armor." Ticus grinned.

"... What are Slivers?" Mizu asked quietly.

"A swarm species that live in a hive in Kalonia, the forest to the east," replied Karumont. "They're slithering, chittering creatures with talons and tentacles for arms, and they're FIERCELY territorial. They've been on Shandalar for a while now- I remember seeing them when I was young- and I've been told they're much more ancient than that. Rumor has it they come from another world."

Shandalar's residents were already well aware of their presence but could do little do act against them. With their recent resurgence, they had turned from an unnerving reason to avoid that area of the world to a global threat. Many intrepid warriors and wizards had gone to investigate the threat and were never seen again. Only the strongest few lived to warn others of the threat of the hive. If travelers needed another reason to avoid Kalonia, the Slivers gave them one.

"Kalonia is a haven for hydras, ten-foot-tall beasts, giant spiders, and even some dinosaurs," said Karumont. "Apart from a few trade outposts, it's mostly uninhabited save for the elf settlements. It's a circus of monsters and beasts waiting to rend a man limb from limb. So when I say that even Kalonia is scared of the Slivers, it should be a testament to their power."

"You've both seen them, right?" Ticus asked.

"Only one of their young scouts," said Tasken, "but it was enough to make me afraid. And I am very rarely afraid. The Slivers are bad news."

"That's what intrigues me. A race that powerful has to have some secrets, and I love secrets," said Ticus with a smirk.

"But why?" Asked Karumont. "I'm not one to turn away from a challenge, but what can you learn from a race of snake-insect-human things?"

"I've read about them," Ticus replied. "The armor that covers each Sliver's body is metallic, yet can change to fit the form of any Sliver. And apparently, long ago, there were completely metallic Slivers in their ranks. I want to know the inner workings of that hive."

"That's a MIGHTY risk, Ticus," boomed Tasken. "Only a madman would think of approaching that hive."

"One doesn't make history by following the norm."

"HAH! That's why I like you, Ticus!" Tasken roared. "You call the next step in your quest to master metalcraft an exploration into the most dangerous place in Shandalar! What a mind!" Tasken laughed heartily.

"The big guy has a point. What bigger thrill could there be on Shandalar? I'd love to adventure there."

Mizu nodded slowly as he finished his drink.

"... Ah, hahaha. We're all insane. This could get us all killed, you know!" Ticus exclaimed.

"As if we haven't been getting nearly killed the past few years? Giving death a back rub seems to be the norm for us," said Karumont.

"Then it's settled. We rest here for the night, and make for Kalonia first thing tomorrow!" Ticus said with a smile.

"This'll be INTERESTING! I love it!" Tasken boomed.


	2. Chapter 2

The hivelord was curious about its sudden rise. Previously, it had only been a feral creature that gave orders and oversaw the work of the hive. But now, it found that it could ask questions. It could analyze and improve upon itself and the slivers as a whole. Within weeks, the hive's expansion and conquest was greater than ever. The hivelord was able to think and improve upon each slivers' unique role in the hive and start a golden age for the slivers.

But while the slivers grew, the hivelord wondered. Most importantly, what had caused it to awaken to the world of independent thought? How had it previously been unable to think with independence, emotion, and will? How had this new world been closed to the hivelord for so long?

It paused. Nothing would come from asking itself the same questions over and over. Yet, it didn't know what else to do. Now able to lead the hive much more efficiently and productively, it found itself with another new foreign object: free time. And it used that extra time to think, to ask questions that no one would hear.

One thing didn't change. Its power. Its dominion over the hive. Its leadership. Independent sentience or otherwise, the hivelord was the hivelord. Nothing would ever change that.

* * *

The party made a good pace following a valley road that cut through the mountainous landscape of central Shandalar. The four travelers had been walking for a few days and good weather had graced their backs. Tasken had been right at home in the mountainous landscape and helped the group camp out for the nights while they made their way towards Kalonia. It wasn't a short trip, but Shandalar had no lack of trading posts and small towns on its many roads, so food and supplies wasn't a problem. Thus, they continued on with brisk steps and excited hearts.

"Hey, Mizu." Ticus spoke.

The cloaked man didn't respond, but looked at Ticus. Mizu and Ticus were slightly ahead of Karumont and Tasken.

"I've been wondering. How come you always keep your right arm under that ripped up cloak?"

Mizu paused for a moment, and Ticus was about to drop the conversation, but then...

"It was taken from me. I've been looking for the people who took it."

"... Taken? Someone stole your arm?"

"You could say that."

Mizu's rough voice was hardly uplifting, but it wasn't melancholy, either. Ticus felt a repressed anger in his voice. Mizu was an enigma to the others, but he had gotten them out of many sticky situations before, even when Ticus's shields and Tasken's stonecrafting had failed them. Mizu was capable of loosing great lightning bolts from his arm, and the group had yet to see a foe live through one. It seemed to take Mizu some time to gather the energy, but he was able to blast apart anything that had faced the party. Though Mizu had only been with the group for a year, they owed their lives to him quite a few times over, and he never asked for anything in return. Karumont had suspected him to be quite old and experienced, figuring Mizu must have obtained some way to retain his youth.

"Oi! Don't stray too far ahead, now!" Tasken shouted.

Ticus spoke quietly to Mizu. "Sorry. Didn't mean to dig up old memories."

"They're with me every day."

Ticus nodded, and the two slowed to allow Karumont and Tasken to catch up.

The party carried on, with negligible interference from roadside thieves or monsters. Most highwaymen or goblins that saw the group as targets quickly had second thoughts upon seeing Tasken and his colossal form. They enjoyed easy travels.

This was a strong motivation for the group, particularly Karumont, to seek thrill and adventure. The excitement that their travels lacked was more than made up for when they found their destinations. Still, the group was always aware of their surroundings, after a painful encounter with a zombie horde at dusk had taught them.

"Just mountains after mountains over here. Everything looks the same," moaned Karumont.

"Don't you knock the mountains, now. These lands are more rich in minerals than anywhere else on Shandalar! Hahaha!" Tasken boomed proudly.

"What appeal is there to a bunch of big rocks? If you want to see a rich world, head to the Eloren region. Beautiful, untamed, wild. Nothing better than a green wilderness and wild life by your side. Here it's just stone. No color, no wild animals, what appeal?"

"Oi! Do you not see the birds overhead? And the mountain lions? The lizards and snakes? There's animals everywhere!"

"None as majestic as a tiger, or leopard, or lion. This is a dull wilderness, with no color or activity, just stagnant stones everywhere."

"Aye, the stones are what you make of them. You see a bunch of big rocks, I see an endless resource of crafting and building. While you have fun swinging through trees and racing jungle cats, I'm on a mountainside, crafting my new iron armor, each set better than the last."

"As you would. These are two of Shandalar's extremes, I suppo-"

"Hey, the next town!" Ticus interrupted.

"Ah, ye. That's Valtel, which means we're over halfway through the mountains. We can rest up here for the night, and by this time tomorrow we may be seeing the edge of Kalonia," said Tasken.

"We've been walking for quite a while! It'll feel good to rest our legs in a bed again," said Ticus.

"Indeed. Wilds, mountains, or otherwise, nothing beats a long rest after a long day under the hot sun," said Karumont with a sigh.

Tasken knew this area of Shandalar's mountain range well, and passing through it once more had rekindled his desire to visit the highest point of Shandalar- Valkas. Tasken had lived in the northern mountains, and had never gone as far south as Valkas, but the stories he heard all his life constantly enticed him. Until meeting Ticus and Karumont several years ago, he'd never been outside the region, a decision he sometimes regretted. His conversation with Karumont triggered his desire to see Shandalar even further, and he wanted to act on those feelings before time caught up with him. Tasken turned and gave the tall mountain peak behind him one more look, and smiled before following the group into town.

* * *

Valtel was a merchant town, serving as a trade hotspot that gave the towns on the plains access to stone and mineral resources. Various shops lined its streets, and many roadside merchants stood behind stalls, selling their wares to any and all passers-by. The streets were busy, even as the sun began setting, filled with travelers and traders from all across Shandalar's northern plains.

The group stopped at a local inn, and managed to secure a room. They were heading up when they were approached by yet another merchant with a long, dark coat full of supplies and souvenirs.

"Resting on your travels, gentlemen? I see you have no lack of fine armor. Care to-"

"No thanks, we've passed enough merchant trying to hawk their crap," said Karumont coldly.

"Ah, but I believe I see an artificer in your midst, no?" Said the merchant.

Ticus paused, and raised his brow. "Go on..."

The merchant dug through his pockets for a moment, and pulled out a small glass case.

"This may interest you. I've held this for a while, looking for the right man to sell it to, and I think I've found him at last."

Ticus approaches the merchant and looked into the case. Inside was a necklace. It was a shimmering, cut gemstone polished to a glistening perfection. It seemed to radiate a pure light from within and gave off a sense of grandiose power.

Ticus was speechless. He recognized the gemstone at once.

"Is... Is that...?"

"A Mox Diamond, my metalshaping friend."

Ticus looked the merchant dead in the eye.

"A Mox!?" Karumont said, himself surprised. "Those are supposed to be impossibly rare!"

"Ah, you speak of the ancient Moxen. While this is no ancient Mox Pearl, sir, it's a genuine Mox Diamond, modeled directly after the old Moxen. It doesn't have the unlimited power that the original Moxen supposedly held, but this is a gemstone any artificer would need for his collection.

"Who wouldn't need something like that?!" Bellowed Tasken. "The Moxen are ancient artifacts legendary for their power, said to accelerate the user's ability to channel mana tenfold. I've heard stories of an era long forgotten where the Moxen were commonplace to ancient wizards and warriors, but that was millenia ago. Even if this is a descendant of the originals, it would still be unbelievably powerful. What would a single merchant in a hotel be doing with a MOX?!"

"Skeptical about its authenticity, I see," said the merchant slyly. "I wouldn't blame you. It's true, the Moxen artifacts are impossibly rare nowadays- but they do exist. Artificer, surely you could deduce if this is genuine or not?

"May I hold it?" Ticus asked.

"Surely," the merchant responded. He opened the case and carefully gave Ticus the gem.

Ticus held it in his hand and let his magical energy course over it. On the mana-rich plane of Shandalar, magic was commonplace even to everyday citizens, and Ticus was no exception. From his youth, he had a knack for controlling metal with his mana, despite being adept with white. This allowed him to command and use artifacts like his armor like it was an extension of his own muscles. And as he coaxed the power out of the Diamond, he could feel it radiating with his own mana wavelength, almost as if it were bonding with him. Ticus watched the stone glow softly white, pulsing with the mana he was channeling around it.

"I can feel it... This is like nothing I've ever..."

Ticus trailed off as the power of the diamond grew. He soon released his mana, and in its place lay the Mox Diamond, glowing softly, before slowly fading. Everyone in the vicinity could feel the power radiating from it.

"It's real. Amazing." Karumont muttered.

"S- sir, how much would you ask for this?" Ticus said, his eyes still fixated on the stone.

"Ahaha, you're like a child in a toy store, Ticus!" Said Tasken.

"Hmm..." The Merchant pondered. "You're a good man, artificer; you and your friends look like the closest of traveling companions. My original price was thirty coins, but for you... How about twenty-five?

"That's... That's a very good price! I'll take it!" Ticus yelped with a giant grin. "Merchant, you are a great man!

Ticus held out his arm to the merchant, who shook with two.

"Please, call me... Tolican."

"Mr. Tolican, this is the best purchase I've made in years." Said Ticus, as he dug through his bag for the payment.

"The pleasure is all mine, sir Ticus!"


	3. Chapter 3

Before, the hivelord was curious. Now, it was intrigued.

For the first time, the hivelord had seen sentience for itself. Through the eyes of a sentinel sliver, the hivelord witnessed other living creatures as they approached- and quickly ran from- a small group of slivers. It watched the creatures' face turn from curiosity to fear, and it heard them speak, though it could not understand the odd language they communicated with. It watched their bodies walk, pause, turn, and flee. And as the slivers gave chase to the trespassers, it heard their screams.

Now the hivelord had something to compare itself to. Slivers knew that other species- humans, elves, Onakke, even the dim-witted goblins- did not share a collective mind like themselves. Each individual specimen was capable of independent thought. Whereas previously in the slivers' history, only the strongest, the leaders of the hive, could think on such a level.

The hivelord, and the hive on Shandalar, had long forgotten about the slivers of ages past. But the past did not forget about them. Like the ancient Sliver Queen before it, the hivelord had gained the same level of independent thought. And seeing the other creatures in this light made the hivelord pause once more. If it was the hivelord already, but now had this incredible level of thought, how powerful would it become? Would anyone- anything- hold a feather to the hivelord now?

The thought of its new power excited the hivelord.

* * *

A few days after buying the Mox Diamond, the party was making good time heading south toward Kalonia. Only one more town awaited they would reach the great forest, and they were making good time. Clouds began gathering overhead, however, and cool winds blew across the roads. There was definitely a storm rolling in. They were walking through the plains of Shandalar, between the mountains and desert, and shelter was scarce.

"Aren't we on the outskirts of Thune?" Karumont asked.

"I think so. The next town up is Ioria, but we won't make it there until the day after tomorrow, at the earliest," Ticus replied.

"Damn. Good thing we stocked up in Valtel. We could-"

"Storm."

Mizu spoke softly, but it was enough to cut Karumont off instantly.

"Mizu?"

Mizu pointed toward the west, where the clouds were much darker. Lightning flashed in the far distance.

"Oh, man," said Ticus. "It's closer than we thought..."

"The food in our bags can't get wet. Can we wait under a tree or something until it blows over?" Asked Karumont.

"There's none aroun' that's big enough. All that's aroun' is grass, dirt, flowers, and small little saplin's." Said Tasken.

"Well, let's find one and keep our packs dry," said Ticus. "This leather gets damp easily, and I'd rather get a little wet than travel for another two days without food."

The group continued on as the sky grew darker. Just as the rain began to fall, they came across a small oasis not far off the road and put their packs under the safe umbrella of the trees' large leaves.

Not a minute later, the floodgates opened.

The rain fell like a raging waterfall that consumed the entire world. It was heavy enough to kill any chance the party had of hearing themselves think- or see, for that matter, as the storm had brought with it a thick fog. Thunder boomed overhead as the four travelers made sure to keep their packs safe, using themselves as shields for the rain. They expected they would outlast the storm and be on their way in an hour.

Ticus was sitting with his pack beside him, and while sitting out the rain, he reached in and pulled out a wad of a lightweight, soft, metallic material about the size of a baseball. It was shapeless, and while it was made of steel, it was very shiny and smooth, colored a bright gray. He held the odd metal in one hand and raised his other to the diamond currently hung around his neck. Since purchasing it in Valtel, he wore it constantly, and allowed his mana to course over it every now and again to get a feel for it. He had yet to use it for metalshaping, and found ample time in his boredom. Luckily, the palm leaves of the trees were just big enough to keep the water away from his precious metal and charm.

Ticus took the necklace off, and held the Mox Diamond in his palm. He began coursing wisps of while mana over it to resync his power with that of the diamond's. Meanwhile, he sat cross-legged and put the sculpting steel on the ground in front of him, hovering his hand over it. Mana began coursing from his hand to the steel, as he had practiced for so many years.

"You makin' something?" Tasken said as he peered around the trees.

"Ah, just trying out the Mox Diamond. Now is as good a time as ever since we're just sitting here," Ticus replied.

"The rain doesn't even break your concentration?"

"Nah, it's just a patter, it fades to the background when I focus on something like this, along with the rest of the world."

Karumont, by now, had turned to see Ticus crafting as well. Mizu sat a few feet away, against a tree, with his head lowered and eyes closed.

"That one would sleep through an earthquake, it seems." Karumont said.

"Even the vague, mysterious types need their down-time." Tasken chuckled.

"Or maybe that crazy lightning of his takes a bigger toll on his body than we thought," said Ticus. The three often pondered over Mizu when given the chance. But right now, there was a more important matter at hand.

Ticus began coursing his mana over the sculpting steel in one hand, while he continued drawing out the power of the diamond in his other. His mana also flowed between Ticus and the land itself; as every user of the power could attest to, the land was the engine behind the mana. Since he was currently in a flat plains, his while mana was eager to draw power from the world. He sat and closed his hand around the diamond, allowing its power to synchronize with his mana and amplify his power, as he'd been practicing. Ticus had used amplifiers plenty of times before, but never one this powerful, so he had to be careful. The process took time. But, after a few minutes, he released the diamond and tied it back around his neck.

"Alright. I've... Got it. The merchant wasn't kidding about this thing's power."

The others looked upon Ticus in wonder as he began to manipulate the raw steel in his hand. Swirling wisps of white mana swirled around both of his hands as he went to work on the steel, moving his fingers like a puppeteer in the air around it. His mana responded with his careful movements, slowly but surely altering the steel into a discernable shape. The steel curved, wobbled, and swirled like silly putty between his hands. A piece eventually fell off, which Ticus shaped into a small, broad dagger. He continued toying with it for a while, fine-tuning its shape and durability using the power of the diamond. When he was finally finished, the dagger sat before him, as hard as steel could be, and polished to perfection- unrecognizable from the shapeless, colorless wad it was just formed from. The others were impressed as always with Ticus's skill.

"I always get a kick outta you making this stuff! Haha!" Tasken laughed.

"Heh, thanks," Ticus responded as he put the materials away. "It's nothing special, just a big knife. I just wanted to give the diamond a test drive."

"I'd call that a success!" Tasken boomed. "Looks like a fine a blade as any. Except my stone blades, o'course! Hahaha!"

The three went back to their packs as the rain continued. It let up every now and again, but the intense thunder and lightning always heralded its resurgence quickly. Just when the rain finally began to slow, Ticus heard a different sound through the patter, one that surprised him.

A chittering noise on the road.

Ticus turned to the direction the noise was coming from and heard a high, toneless chittering that the patter of the rain couldn't mask. It grew steadily closer, then stopped for a moment. Karumont heard it, too, but Tasken, on the other side of the tree, didn't pay any mind.

It grew steadily louder, and Ticus looked around for the source.

"You guys hear that?"

Karumont looked up. "Hear what-"

Karumont was interrupted by a loud growling noise. The group looked around, and on the other side of the tree they found the source.

And it found them.

It was coated in metal, standing idle like an abandoned robot. Between its metal skin, very long arms that extended down to its legs, and hair that touched the ground, it looked very alien, an illusion helped by the fact that it didn't appear to have a face. It was humanoid only in the sense that it had two arms, two legs, a body, and a head. And with its black, empty eyes, it was staring at Ticus.

Ticus could only respond with a stare just as blank.

The creature began lumbering towards him, keeping its empty eyes locked on him. Ticus was still. He was not only dumbfounded, but paralyzed with fear. He had expected the Slivers to be alien, but he hadn't quite prepared himself for just how unreal they were.

Karumont turned to face the monster. "That... Is that...?"

"A sliver," Ticus responded. "It's a steelform scout... This far up north."

"We must be a hundred miles from Kalonia, maybe more," Karumont spoke. "How can it be this far up...?"

Karumont's gaze as locked on the creature, as well. It slowly inched forward, its head unmoving. Soon, it stopped about twenty feet from the group, and stood idle.

"What does it want...?" Karumont asked.

"It's observing us," Ticus responded. "I don't think slivers fully understand humans. We're just as strange to it as it is to us."

"So that's what they look like."

Karumont and Ticus were standing across the road from a creature neither of them could comprehend. The sliver cocked it head, as if it were studying them, and twitched a few times.

Ticus could get a better look at its skin now. It was a plated steel, like armor bonded to its skin, with ridges and spikes covering much of it. While it was likely a brilliant metal when it was first crafted, it was now filthy and muddy, its shine long gone. Ticus thought that this meant this sliver was older, a conclusion helped by the fact that they weren't anywhere close to Kalonia.

Then the sliver made its move.

The average human reaction time is around 2/10ths of a second. While the sliver wasn't quite that fast, to Karumont, it felt like it was; it was certainly fast enough to move before Ticus or Karumont could flinch. But, within a half-second, the humanoid sliver moved with blurring speed, lunging at Karumont. It smashed into his torso and pinned him to the ground, crashing his head right into the tree he was resting on less than a minute ago. The sliver's face was unchanged, as if it felt no emotion, no rage, nothing. It was like a cold automaton, programmed only to attack.

Ticus screamed his friend's name, causing Tasken to turn and see what all the commotion was. What he saw was his friend pinned to the Earth, with a face as red as a tomato, gasping for air, arms grasping the metallic arm of the sliver. Tasken was no slouch, and without hesitation, he threw his hands onto the ground and, using the red mana he was so adept with, created a plume of sand underneath the liver that sent the creature flying back. It few off of Karumont, but not before leaving a deep gash in his neck.

Ticus ran over to his friend, who was breathing, but grimacing badly in pain. The sliver had cut the sides of his neck with its long claws, and he was bleeding badly.

"It's ok, just hold on," Ticus said. "I think I can cauterize the wound with some heated metal, I'm not an expert but I can-"

"Ticus, we got company!" Tasken yelled.

Ticus turned around to a horrifying sight. Before the group stood at least five more slivers, all of varying forms, about thirty feet away. They all had armor similar to the first sliver's, but their bodies were all variants of the same twisted model. One of them had an enormous talon in the place of a left arm, while another had a huge, gaping jaw and a claw-like appendage for a right hand. All of them sported the same armor-like skin and tube-like veins underneath, as if their bodies were constructed from the ruins of a factory. They looked truly bizarre and otherworldly, and Ticus could hardly grasp what he was seeing.

"Slivers…" He mumbled.

Ticus grasped the Mox Diamond in his hand, drawing mana from it quickly. The slivers seemed to sense the power emanating from his necklace, and hesitated.

"They can feel yer power, Ticus." Tasken said. "Their skin, you were right, it's metal… Or something. They know an artificer when they see one."

"Good." Ticus said. "Then they know to be afraid. I'm not weak."

"Nor am I, my friend."

Behind them, Karumont chuckled, then winced in pain. Ticus and Tasken instinctively formed a shield between him and the slivers.

"Hold on, Karu," said Ticus. "It's only a few of them… We can take them."

"We don't know anything ABOUT them, Ticus," said Tasken. "How can we fight them?"

Tasken's question took care of itself. Just as he finished speaking, a sliver with two enormous blades for arms charged at them. It was the one that had been at the front of the group, and appeared to be their leader. Its armor was more of a while color than the other slivers', and its armor-like skin was more rigid and serrated. It attacked Tasken, who responded by meeting its blade with a stone he had forged out of the ground a moment ago. He fashioned it into a small shield and deflected its attack perfectly, causing it to reel back. The other slivers had begun moving forward, but hesitated.

"Didn't expect a big lug like me to be so fast, did yeh, you monster?!" Tasken yelled, with a confident grin.

"There's too many." Ticus spoke. "How are we going to-"

Then a noise as loud as thunder erupted from the makeshift battlefield. In fact, it was thunder, and it was faster than anyone could have expected. Even the slivers jumped back, startled.

A great bolt of lightning flashed from behind the party, blasting into the bonescythe sliver that had attacked Tasken, and sent it flying back into the group of slivers. It flew so fast that it scattered most of them across the road, and even the slivers couldn't register what just happened. Ticus and Tasken looked behind them to see what had just sent a massive, sword-armed sliver flying 100 feet, already knowing the answer.

"Don't ever wake me up." Mizu spoke softly.


End file.
